


if the city never sleeps, then that makes two

by sofarsoperfect



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), All Time Low
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/F, F/M, Genderbending, Genderfuck, Genderswap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-13
Updated: 2014-08-13
Packaged: 2018-02-13 00:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2130945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sofarsoperfect/pseuds/sofarsoperfect
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>sex. art. people repair themselves in different ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	if the city never sleeps, then that makes two

Michaela lifted her arm to wipe across her brow. There was a wet slide across her cheek of, what she was sure, was paint, but she ignored it and kept drawing across the canvas in water color, the purple the same shade as her lilac hair seeping into the blue underneath and running a little bit.

"Morning, fucker," Ashton said, coming into the room. She looked around for Michael's 'paint water' mug and set her 'not paint water' coffee mug next to it. Ashton was always baffled by how Michaela could pick up the right one without looking every time.

"Morning, bitch," Michaela replied, tossing her paintbrush into the paint water mug and picking up the other one in the mug. Tapping it against the rim, she then smeared it into the green block of water color, painting streaks along the canvas.

"You sleep at all?" Ashton replied and Michaela shrugged. Ashton rolled her eyes. "We got class in an hour, don't forget, loser," she warned and walked out, Michaela reaching around for the other mug and taking a deep drink of the steaming coffee.

-

Lucy kicked Jack, who was asleep on the floor of her apartment-style dorm. Jack startled awake and then beat Alex over the head with a pillow where he was asleep on the couch. He groaned but didn't get up. Lucy set two mugs of coffee on the coffee table and took a sip of her own.

"Get up, stupids. We have class," She told them, knocking on Zack's door. Jack rubbed his eyes while Alex rolled over on the couch.

"Lu?" Zack called, opening his door a little. Lucy handed him a mug of coffee through the crack in the door. "Thanks, babe," he said and Lucy smiled at him. The door shut again and Lucy grabbed her toast from the bar, going back into her room.

"C'mon, Alex," Jack said, patting his best friend's leg before getting up and taking his coffee to his room. Alex groaned again but didn't get up as Jack's door closed behind him.

-

Rian knocked a couple of times on his girlfriend's dorm room. The girl who opened it was obviously not his girlfriend but he offered her the third coffee on his drink holder. Cali smiled, thankful, and invited him in, Kara having just finished getting dressed. She took the second coffee and he tossed the drink tray in their dorm.

"See you later?" Kara said and Cali nodded, lifting her drink to Kara. The girl and her boyfriend left, leaving Cali to her thoughts and her coffee.

+

Jack met Michaela on accident, when he was heading to his Music History lecture and Michaela was late for her painting class. She bumped into him, spilling her brushes on the cement and his book slipped from his arms.

"Oh, shit," he said, dropping to his knees to help her. Michaela pushed his hands away.

"I got it, I got it," she said, but Jack didn't stop. He gathered two or three before handing them to her and Michaela lifted her eyes to look at him. Jack swallowed, looking at her green eyes, his gaze sliding over to the eyebrow ring over her right eye and then to her red, plush lips.

"I'm sorry," he said and Michaela shook her head, standing up. She wiped her pink nose with her wrist, tucking her brushes back together again.

"It's no problem. I'm sorry I ran into you," she apologized and the two of them slowly stood up, Jack scooping up his book on his way into a standing position. Michaela adjusted her bag and slid around him.  
"I'm sorry, I have to- I gotta go," she said, and then briskly walked away.

Jack licked his lips and then kept walking to his Music History lecture, the image of her green eyes and lilac hair caught in his mind's eye.

Alex caught up with Jack later, the two of them eating at the campus cafe. Alex tapped his pen against the notebook in front of him wildly, trying to write new lyrics for a song. Jack chewed on the end of his own pen, his lunch starting to go cold in front of him.

"Jack, you eating, man?" Alex asked, when he lifted his eyes. Jack's eye darted too Alex and then he took the pen from his mouth. "You been spacing this entire time?" Alex asked, setting his writing utensil down.

"Uh, yeah," Jack admitted, reaching out to poke at his toasted sandwich. He took a sip of his drink and then looked at Alex. "I met some girl today," he started and Alex shook his head.

"Jack. Don't, okay. There are over six thousand students at the university, okay? Don't get caught up in some girl you met on the street. Like you're ever going to see her again," Alex reminded him, sounding doubtful. Jack shrugged and took a bite of his sandwich.

"You don't know that," Jack said through a mouthful.

"Neither do you," Alex replied, tapping on his notebook twice and then looking back down, securely closing the conversation.

-

"Hey, Ash," Lucy said, coming into the apartment. Ashton looked up from her book, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "I'm just picking up some of my shit from Mikey. I'll be out of here in a second," Lucy explained, opening the door to the studio. Ashton got up and watched Lucy get her box of things from the bottom of Michaela's closet.

"Mikey's been painting a lot more," Ashton said conversationally but Lucy only breathed out once before turning to look at her.

"Yeah?" Ashton nodded. "I hope it's watercolor. I hated the stuff, but, she always loved it," Lucy said. "I'll see you around, Ash," Lucy told her, sliding out of the room and then out the door. The wooden door of the studio apartment shut heavily behind her and Ashton breathed out.

Ashton crossed Mikey's bedroom and took the sheet off of her canvas. A drippy, smeared version of Lucy stared back at her and Ashton sighed. Why did Mikey have to fall for her?

-

"You okay?" Cali asked, pushing open the door to Lucy's room. Lucy looked up from her laptop, Cali sitting down beside her. "Ash said you picked up your stuff from their apartment today," Cali added and Lucy sighed, taking her hands away from her computer.

"I'm fine, Cal. I broke up with Mikey, remember. Like, I'm fine," Lucy told her and Cali took her hand in hers. Lucy looked at her and Cali smiled a little sadly.

"You sure about that?" She asked and Lucy sniffed once.

"Yeah. I did what was best. Mikey and I... we fell out of love. It sucks, but it happens. We're still gonna be friends, just, not with all the extra stuff," Lucy told her and Cali nodded, crawling in next to Lucy on the bed. Lucy let her snuggle in, wrap her arms around Lucy's waist, her head on her shoulder.

"You wanna watch a movie?" Lucy asked and Cali nodded. "Easy A?" Cali nodded again. "I love you."

"I love you too, Lu."

-

Mikey threw open the door to her bedroom when she got home, glad to see Ashton out. She opened windows in her room, cleaned out her paint water mug, refilled it, and got out her water colors.

Shoving her used canvas in the closet, she put a new one up and laid down a new drop sheet, tying her hair up. Shedding her class clothes and dressing down in her shorts and tank top, she got started on something new, a new image she suddenly wanted to paint.

Bold stripes of white were painted across the canvas, and then pale blues and yellows, mixing into pale greens dripping off the canvas. Pastel shades colored the canvas while Michaela worked through it all. The natural light coming in the windows slowly started to disappear and by the time she was done, Michaela was thirsty, starving and it was nearly 9 o'clock.

"Hey stupid!" Ashton shouted, banging on the door. "Open the door!"

Michaela pulled it open, and Ashton stared at her for a long time before she walked past her entirely and looked at Michaela's art work.

"Holy shit."

"Like it? I call it 'Heartbreak Girl'."

-

Alex rolled off of Lucy and she laughed to herself, carding her fingers through her fringe to push it off her forehead. Alex turned his head to look at her, Lucy scooting over to get close to him, Alex reaching out to push some stray pieces of blonde hair from her face.

"You hungry?" Lucy asked and Alex laughed, Lucy getting out of bed and looking around for her panties. Alex rolled onto his side, his elbow on the pillow and his head in his hand. The blanket fell to pool around his middle while Lucy pulled a new pair of panties out of her drawer. When she turned around, she put her hands on her hips, her right hand still clutching her panties. "What?"

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked. Lucy looked away and pulled on her underwear, scooping up his shirt before standing upright again.

"No. You hungry or not?" She asked, tugging it over her head. Alex breathed out and got out of bed.

"Toss me my boxers, Lu," he said and Lucy did as he asked. Alex pulled them on and walked around the bed, to look at her. "Checkers?"

"Please."

-

"Do you ever worry that what you're doing with Lu is going to fuck you guys up one day?" Jack asked over lunch the next day. He and Zack pretended that Alex and Lucy didn't hook up behind closed doors most of the time, but they all knew.

It all kind of stopped when Lucy started dating that chick she was with, but they broke up a month ago and last night was the first time since. None of them ever met her, but Lucy said it was pretty serious. She really liked her.

"Nah. Lu and I aren't that invested," Alex brushed off, taking a bite of his sandwich. "You see that chick again?" He asked and Jack looked away. "No used getting hung up on some girl you don't know, Jacky," Alex told him but Jack only took a sip of his drink.

-

"So you're getting over her?" Cali asked Mikey, Ashton coming in with three mugs of tea. She set the 'not paint water' mug next to the still painting Michaela. Cali took one of the other ones, she and Ashton sitting on Michaela's bed while she did her work.

"Kind of," Michaela said, not really saying much. She stuck a still wet paint brush behind her ear, picking up her mug for a drink. Ashton sighed and slowly closed her eyes. Michaela always got paint in her hair that way.

"What's your new one, Mikey?" Cali asked but Michaela only shrugged through a mouthful of tea and took a new brush out of her other mug, smearing it against a block of black and swiping it across the canvas, completely ignoring the one on her head.

"Dunno yet," she replied and Cali looked at Ashton. She shook her head and Cali took a sip of her tea. They never knew with Mikey.

-

Lucy threw her bag in her room and settled herself onto Alex's lap, between him and his book. His hands rested onto her hips, Lucy's arms wrapping around his neck.

"Good afternoon to you too," Alex said and Lucy smirked at him. "Lu, I got homework."

"Quick one?" She asked and Alex could never properly say no to her, pressing his mouth to hers. There was a knock on the door but they both ignored it for favor of each other's mouths, Zack coming out of his room to get it.

"No, no, don't get up. I got it," Zack said, glancing over to the couple making out on the couch. Alex pulled her more directly on top of him, Lucy straddling his hips. Zack scoffed and opened the door a little bit, Rian standing in the doorway. "Hey, dude."

"Hey. Alex and Lu at it again?" He asked and Zack opened the door a bit more. "I see. You wanna get out before they bang on the couch? Ash is bored out of her mind and her roommate is painting again. Like, massive crisis painting."

"Sure, I'll get my jacket," Zack said and Rian stepped in. Lucy lifted her head to look at him.

"Hey Ri," she said, her lips read and her blue eyes dark. Rian lifted his hands.

"Please, don't let me distract you. Zack and I are just leaving," Rian told her, grabbing Zack's wrist as soon as he left the room. "Let's go, this is gross," Rian told him, Zack stumbling after him and slamming the door shut. Lucy giggled and Alex put his hand on the back of her neck to bring her lips to his.

-

"So Michaela is art-ing herself to death?" Rian said.

"And Lucy is fucking Alex to get over it. Brilliant," Ashton replied. Zack tilted his head a little, pursing his lips. They all clinked beer bottles and drank deeply.

-

Lucy slowly woke up the next morning, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Alex was snuggled up against her back, his arm tossed around her waist. She sat up and pushed her hair out of the way, Alex rolling over, still asleep.

"Alex, get up," she told him, the boy groaning and pulling the blanket over his head. Lucy shook her head and kicked him, getting out of bed and taking a shirt from his closet. Peering out the door, she quickly crossed the living room and got into her own room.

Throwing herself on her bed, she shed Alex's shirt and slid under the covers. She was used to sleeping with Alex, it just felt different now.

-

"Mikey," Ashton nudged her friend. She took the paint water mug and replaced it with the other one, Mikey's face, hair, clothes and arms stained with paint. She nudged Michaela harder and the girl stirred, swatting Ashton away from her. "Get the fuck up. You have class," she told her, about to head out of the room.

She was almost out when she paused and looked at the canvas.

The face of a person with brown eyes and black hair looked back at her. She studied it for a long time before shaking her head and leaving the room.

-

Alex leaned in Lucy's doorway after his first class. She was sitting in bed, laptop on her bed in front of her and her legs crossed. He crossed his arms and Lucy looked up, clutching her chest when she realized it was Alex.

"You scared the hell out of me, fucker," she told him and Alex smiled.

"You busy?" He asked, stepping into the room. He shut the door behind him and Lucy closed her laptop, setting it on the ground with a little smirk.

"No," she said and pulled him in by his belt when he was within reach.

"Hey," Alex said, taking her hands away from his waist. "I wanna talk," he said, sitting next to her. Lucy let out a heavy breath but Alex pulled her in, fitting her back against his chest and wrapping his arms around her middle.

"What's up, 'Lex?" She asked and Alex rested his chin on the top of her head.

"You okay? I mean, you broke up with your girlfriend a month ago. You haven't really talked about it," Alex told her and Lucy pulled away from him, her blue eyes confused and a little bit hurt.

"I don't want to talk about it, Alex. I don't really want to... deal with that," she said, immediately putting her guard up. Lucy did that when she didn't want to be emotional. "I get that you're a sensitive artist and song writer, but that's not what I need, Alex."

"What do you need?" He asked, taking her hand in his.

"A guy who just, deals with it. A guy who lets me fuck it out and just, goes with it," she admitted and Alex leaned in, roughing pressed a hard kiss to her lips. Lucy's hand slipped from his to thread her hands into his hair, tugging on it.

Alex pulled her in by her waist and readjusted so they were lying down, Lucy underneath him.

"I can do that."

-

Jack ran into her this morning and again, there were paintbrushes on the sidewalk and a book on the ground. They both fell to their knees and when Jack brushed his hand against hers, the girl with lilac hair lifted her green eyes and stared into the brown ones she painted the night before.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself," she replied and smiled just a little bit.

"I'm sorry," Jack apologized again.

"It's okay."

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by this [picture](https://cdn1.thehunt.com/app/public/system/zine_images/4948591/original/292eb5768c187c97dcce027406f864a4.jpg)


End file.
